Current Affairs

The Japanese media’s somewhat excessive coverage of Metabolic Syndrome — the phenomenon formerly known as getting fat — has presumably played a huge part in pharmacies being full of suspiciously effective fat-fighting supplements, big companies bullying their staff into battling the bulge and even government ministers bravely baring their midriffs. Plus, anyone carrying even the most meagre amount of extra meat is now rather meanly marked as ‘metabo’.

However, for those not embarrassed about their bulging bellies, and at the same time brazenly prepared to say bollocks to such badgering, what better way to embrace the fact than by having it beautifully emblazoned?

With the new school year in Japan now well and truly underway, teachers up and down the country will be keeping their eyes peeled for any bullying, especially after the number of cases that needed dealing with doubled in 2007.

However, despite the ongoing issue and the catastrophes it can cause, one or two schools don’t seem to be taking it as seriously as they perhaps should. This Tokyo kindergarten in particular appearing to almost promote,

rather than prevent,

such practices.

(click images for bigger, bouffanted bullies)

With the ongoing poisoned gyoza scandal, and the recent football-related fracas, Japan’s abundant China bashers must think it’s their birthday.

And now, to top things off, there could even be a haze-like hat-trick, as yesterday Tokyo was hit with what may well have been an unwelcome return of the seriously unsightly Chinese yellow sand.

Unless of course it was just dust of domestic descent.